US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday evening that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is still possible, despite reports of faltering negotiations as a result of new conditions set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden told the press - after spending the weekend at the Camp David resort - that the talks are still ongoing and “we will not give up,” adding that reaching an agreement “is still possible.”
Biden's statement came coinciding with the arrival of his Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, in Tel Aviv, as part of Washington's intense diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. This is Blinken's ninth visit to the region since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza in October of last year, and it comes days after the United States put forward proposals to bridge the gaps between Hamas and Israel.
Earlier, the Hamas movement said that the American proposal, which it agreed to on July 2, had recently had new conditions added to it in line with Netanyahu’s desires. The movement added in a statement, “After we listened to the mediators about what happened in the discussions, it became clear to us that Netanyahu is still creating more obstacles,” and that it holds him fully responsible for thwarting the mediators’ efforts and obstructing reaching an agreement.
Hamas explained that the new proposal responds to Netanyahu's conditions, especially his rejection of a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal from Gaza, and his insistence on continuing to occupy the Netzarim Junction, the Rafah Crossing, and the Philadelphia Axis.
